Field of the Invention

The invention relates to multicopter frames.

Prior Art

Frame of an unmanned aerial vehicle, commonly known as a drone plays an important role. It bears all elements of a drone, also ensures sustainability of the whole vehicle.

There are known different structures of a multirotor drone frames depending on motor configuration, function of a drone and other features (US2015298799, KR20150145853, EP2818218, KR20120102880, USD747775S).

The main drawback of the known multicopter frames is that there is a tradeoff between weight and safety. Minimalistic frames feature good weight characteristics but lack in safety because propellers are exposed. Introducing additional structures for propeller protection improves on safety and collision protection but increases structure weight. Increased weight for multicopters is very undesirable because it decreases maximum flight time, reduces mobility as well as possibilities for payload.

Disclosure of the Invention

The aim of the invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the prior art and to provide a multicopter frame ensuring optimal modulus of elasticity as well as ensuring sufficient mechanical protection for propellers in case of collision with another object.

The multicopter frame according to the present invention comprising: (i) a first housing and a second housing, both the first housing and the second housing are substantially centrally located, where the first housing is situated substantially above the second housing; (ii) a first plurality of propeller drives and a second plurality of propeller drives, each propeller drive comprising a propeller attached to an electric motor; (iii) a first set of arms coupled to the first housing such that each arm extends in a substantially longitudinal direction from the first housing and a second set of arms coupled to the second housing such that each arm extends in a substantially longitudinal direction from the second housing; wherein the first plurality of the propeller drives is coupled to the arms of the first set of arms such that the propellers are located substantially under the arms of the first set of arms, and the second plurality of the propeller drives is coupled to the arms of the second set of arms such that the propellers are located substantially above the arms of the second set of arms; where peripheral end of each arm of the first set of arms is connected with peripheral ends of two adjacent arms of the second set of arms by rods. Brief Description of Drawings

Fig. 1 - shows perspective view of the multicopter frame according to the invention; Fig. 2 - top view of the multicopter frame;

Fig. 3 - perspective view of the multicopter frame according to another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 4 - top view of the multicopter frame according to the embodiment of the invention as shown on Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 - a schematic top view of the multicopter frame showing angular displacement of position of the first set of arms relative to position of the second set of arms (and viceversa).

Detailed Description of the Invention

The multicopter frame (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2) comprising: a first housing 1 and a second housing 2; a first plurality of propeller drives 3 and a second plurality of propeller drives 4, each propeller drive comprising a propeller attached to an electric motor; a first set of arms 5 and a second set of arms 6; rods 7. The multicopter frame may further contain rods 8 and/or rods 9.

The first housing 1 is situated substantially above the second housing 2. Both the first housing 1 and the second housing 2 are substantially centrally located.

The first set of arms 5 is coupled to the first housing 1 such that each arm extends in a substantially longitudinal direction from the first housing 1 and the second set of arms 6 is coupled to the second housing 2 such that each arm extends in a substantially longitudinal direction from the second housing 2. The first set of arms 5 may be situated from the second set of arms 6 at a distance, which is selected from the range from zero to about one diameter of the (biggest) propellers used in the multicopter.

The first plurality of the propeller drives 3 is coupled to the arms of the first set of arms 5 such that the propellers are located substantially under the arms of the first set of arms 5. The second plurality of the propeller drives 4 is coupled to the arms of the second set of arms 6 such that the propellers are located substantially above the arms of the second set of arms 6.

Peripheral end of each arm of the first set of arms 5 is connected with peripheral ends of two adjacent arms of the second set of arms 6 by rods 7.

According to another embodiment of the invention the peripheral end of each arm of the first set of arms 5 is connected with peripheral end of two adjacent arms of the first set of arms 5 by the rods 8. According to yet another embodiment the peripheral end of each arm of the second set of arms 6 is connected with peripheral end of two adjacent arms of the second set of arms 6 by the rods 9. The multicopter frame may comprise either rods 7, or rods 8, or rods 9, or their combination (e.g. rod 8 and 9 only; rods 7 and 8; rods 7 and 9; rods 7, 8 and 9). Said connection of the peripheral ends the arms by the rods (7; or 8 and 9; or 7, 8 and 9) provides improved modulus of elasticity as well as ensuring sufficient mechanical protection for the propellers in case of collision with another object. The embodiment with the frame comprising the rods 7, 8, and 9 is shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4.

According to the preferred embodiment the arms (5 and 6) and/or the rods 7, 8 and 9 are substantially hollow pipes.

According to yet another preferred embodiment an angle a between each two adjacent arms of the first set of arms 5 equals to the angle a between each two adjacent arms of the second set of arms 6; where the second set of arms 6 is angularly displaced (i.e. rotated in a horizontal plane) at an angle a/2 relative to position of the first set of arms 5 as shown in Fig. 5.

The invention provides a multicopter frame ensuring optimal modulus of elasticity as well as ensuring sufficient mechanical protection for propellers in case of collision with another object.